Madalyn Murray O'Hair

"An Atheist knows that a hospital should be built instead of a church. An Atheist knows that a deed must be done instead of a prayer said. An Atheist strives for involvement in life and not escape into death. He wants disease conquered, poverty vanquished, war eliminated."

"Well, as a militant feminist, I believe in complete equality with men: intellectual, professional, economic, social and sexual; theyre all equally essential, and theyre all equally lacking in American society today."

"I was shamed into it by my son, Bill, who came to me in 1960 -- he was 14 then -- and said: "Mother, youve been professing that youre an atheist for a long time now. Well, I dont believe in God either, but every day in school Im forced to say prayers, and I feel like a hypocrite. Why should I be compelled to betray my beliefs?" I couldnt answer him. He quoted the old parable to me: "It is not by their words, but by their deeds that ye shall know them" -- pointing out that if I was a true atheist, I would not permit the public schools of America to force him to read the Bible and say prayers against his will. He was right. Words divorced from action supporting them are meaningless and hypocritical. So we began the suit. And finally we won it. I knew it wasnt going to make me the most popular woman in Baltimore, but I sure as hell didnt anticipate the tidal wave of virulent, vindictive, murderous hatred that thundered down on top of me and my family in its wake."

"So my life and the life of my family has been completely disrupted in absolutely every way. But its been worth it. Its uncovered a vast cesspool of illegitimate economic and political power in which the Church is immersed right up to its ears, and I intend to dive in headfirst and pull it out of there dripping wet for all the world to see -- no matter how long it takes, no matter whose feet get stepped on in the process, no matter how much it costs, no matter how great the personal sacrifice."

"I have never encountered a more bitter, more distateful person than Madalyn Murray OHair. She was extremely foul-mouthed, to the point that even though we were doing an interview about something that she wanted us to do a story on, we had to stop the interview in the middle because she was cursing so much."

"Perhaps this sort of claptrap was good for the Stone Age, when people actually believed that if they prayed for rain they would get it. But were a grown-up world now, and its time to put away childish things. But people dont, because most of them dont even know what atheism is. Its not a negation of anything. You dont have to negate what no one can prove exists. No, atheism is a very positive affirmation of mans ability to think for himself, to do for himself, to find answers to his own problems. Im thrilled to feel that I can rely on myself totally and absolutely; that my children are being brought up so that when they meet a problem they cant cop out by foisting it off on God. Madalyn Murrays going to solve her own problems, and nobodys going to intervene. Its about time the world got up off its knees and looked at itself in the mirror and said: "Well, we are men. Lets start acting like it."

"Your petitioners are Atheists and they define their lifestyle as follows. An Atheists loves himself and his fellow man instead of a god. An Atheist thinks that heaven is something for which we should work for now - here on earth- for all men together to enjoy."